Cartridge-loading machine.



No. 629,393. Patented July 25, I899.

F. RAYMOND.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1898.)

{No Model.)

lmlenior'i Wiin ass a s Frederzklffiaymond THE NIJRRIS PETERS c0, munxumu, WASHINGTON, u. c.

UNTTED STATES FREDERICK. RAYMOND, OF SEDALIA, MISSOURI.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,393, dated July 25, 1899.

Application filed Septemb r-26,1898. erial No. 691,856. (No model.) To all whom it may concern: vertical holes or chambers 9 drilled there- Be it known that I, FREDERICK RAYMOND, through, equal in number to the holes in the of Sedalia, Pettis county, Missouri, have inloading-block. vented certain new and usefullmprovements 10 designates a corresponding number of 5 in Cartridge-Loading Machines, of which the vertical ram mers, having their upper ends 0c following is a specification. cupying said chambers 9 and arranged in 3 My invention relates to cartridge-loading axial alinement with the loading-block holes machines, and has forits object the provision below, and said rammers are provided with 6 of a machine of this character by which the air or gas tight packingat the top to prevent :0 loading of shells maybe accomplished quickly leakage, and their lower ends are of reduced 1-. and reliably, this invention being designed diameter. The ram mers are guided to recipparticularly as an improvementover the simirooate vertically in guide-brackets 11, coularly-entitled invention patented by me on nected to or formed integralwith the block 8, April 12, 1898, No. 602, 143. and said bracket also serves to limit the down 1;: 15 With this object in view the invention conward movement of the ram mers. Encircling sists in certain novel and peculiar features of retractive springs 12, below the block 11, tend construction and combinations of parts, as to withdraw or relevate the rammers to nor- If; hereinafter described, and pointed out specimal position after the pressure is removed. fically in appended claims, and in order that The parts thus far described are of pre- 20 the invention may be fully understood refercisely the same construction as in the patent 5 once is to be had to the accompanying drawhereinbefore mentioned, with the exception ing, in whichof the perforations 3 and the stop-pin 4, and

Figure 1 isa vertical section of that part of for a more thorough and complete under- 1 the machine wherein my improvements restanding of the construction of said parts ref- 25 side. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the erence is made to said patent.

line H II of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan view 13 designates a shallow basin in connection of the device for regulating the amount of with the reservoir 7 through the medium of p pressure which it is desired to apply in the its tubular stem, screwed or otherwise secartridge-loading operation. Fig. 4 is a top cured to the top of said reservoir, and 14 des- 0 plan view of a four-way valve forming a part ignates a diaphragm for said basin, which is '1;

of myinvention. Fig. 5 is avertical central of suitable proportions and material to resection of the same. Fig. 6 is a horizontal spond toa predetermined pressure of air, gas, section of the same. or other equivalent by moving or bulging upg In the said drawings the frame or stand wardly, fora purpose which will hereinafter 5 which carries the operative parts of the maappear. Secured centrally to and projecting chine is illustrated in dotted lines, as shown vertically from said diaphragm is an aperat 1. tured rod or stem 15, having its upper end 2 designates an arm or plate secured to said bifurcated bypreference, as shown at 16. frame and provided at its upper end with a 17 designates an arch cast with or secured 40 vertical series of holes 3, preferably four in to the basin and provided centrally with a number. vertical sleeve portion embracing and there- 4 designates a stop-pin adapted to engage fore insuring a direct vertical movement of one or another of the holes in order to limit said stem. The basin is also provided with the vertical sliding movement of the table 5, a bifurcated arm 19 at one side, to which is 5 upon which is mounted the usual or any prepivoted the rear end of a scale-beam 20, eX- ferred type of loading-block 6, said block betending through the apertured stem, and caring illustrated by dotted lines. Vertically ried by said beam is an adjustable poise 21 above saidblockandasuitabledistancethereof any preferred type. By the proper ad- 1C0 from and also carried by the frame is a reserjustment of this poise or weight upon the 50 voir 7, and secured to the under side of the scale-beam the latter is caused, by pressing same with an air-tight joint in any suitable down upon the stem 15, to hold the diaphragm manner is a metallic block 8, provided with 14. unresponsive to any internal pressure less than a given amount. In practice it generally requires from sixty to eighty pounds on each shell, and as there are usually fifty shells in a single loading-block the capacity of the machine will be from three thousand to four thousand pounds and the poise or weight will be adjusted accordingly.

22 designates a valve-casing provided with the inlet-port 23, connected by a pipe 24 to the source of power, with an outlet-port 25 diametrically opposite the inlet-port and connected by a pipe 26 with the reservoir 7. A partition 26, provided with a relatively small perforation, separates port 25 and pipe 26in order that the immense pressure shall be applied upon the rammers gradually, and thereby obviate chance of injury thereto and to the associated parts. The valve-casing is furthermore provided with a return-port 27, connected by apipe 28 with the reservoir, and with an escape-port 29, provided with an escape-pipe 30 to conduct the Waste air to a suitable point of discharge. To the pipe 28 is coupled a pipe 31, communicating at its lower end with the cylinder 32, below the piston 33 thereof, and the stem 34 of said piston is connected to the sliding table 5, to the end that the movement of the latter shall accord with that of the piston.

35 designates the plug or valve proper of the casing 22, provided with a diametric passage 36, which is adapted to connect ports 23 and 25 or 27 and 29, accordingly as it is desired to operate the rammers or not. The valve is provided at its lower end with a reduced cylindrical stem 37, having a squared extension, upon which is clamped the disk 38, and the valve at its upper end is formed with an angular stem 39, upon which is secured a lever 40, and with a large disk 41, reduced in diameterfor about one-fourth of its periphery in order to form the shoulders 42 and 43, adapted for alternate engagement with a stoparm 44, projecting from the valve-casing. The diametric reduction of said disk also provides a recess occupied by said stop-arm, and its base is preferably concentric to the axis of the valve, and encircling the lower part of the casing and secured thereto at one end and at its opposite end to the disk 38 is aspring 45, which tends to hold the valve 40 in the position shown in Fig. 4.

At right angles to the stop-arm 44 and coin cidental with the position of the shoulder 42 when the arm 40 is in its initial position is an apertured guide-arm 46, projecting from the casing, and 47 designates a slide-latch extendingtherethrough and held alwayswithayielding pressure against the periphery of the disk by the spring 48, said spring hearing at its opposite ends against the bifurcated standard 19 and the collar 49 upon said latch-bar. The opposite end of the latch-bar is provided with alongitudinal slot 50,through which the pivotpin 51 extends, carried by the pendent armof a bell-crank lever 52, said lever being fulcrumed in the upper end of the standard 19 and pivotally connected at its opposite end in the bifurcated end- 16 of the diaphragmstem 15. g

In order that the increasing pressure of the reservoir and cylinder maybe ascertained at any time during the operation, I preferably provide said reservoir with a pressure-gage 53 of the usual or any preferred type. The elevation of the poise of course will instantly determine when the pressure has attained the desired height. 1

When the shell-block has been properly position ed upon the reciprocatory table and compressed air, gas, or other equivalent is entering the reservoir and, through the medium of pipes 28 and 31, entering the cylinder, and thereby synchronously depressing the rammers and elevating the loading-blocl ,the pressure-controlling mechanism is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and the valve mechanism as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

In the preliminary operation a thin wad is adapted to be pressed down upon the powder in the-shell. As in this operation the relative movement toward each other of the table and the rammers is greater than in the subsequent loading operations, the stop-pin 4 to limit the upward movement of the table is fitted in the topmost hole of the series 3, and if the amount of powder or the thickness of any of said wads varies the uniform pressure upon all is maintained, because the rammers work independently and will move a variable distance. This feature of the operation is clearly set forth in my former patent referred to and need not be enlarged upon here. As the pressure in the reservoir attains the predetermined height the poise is overbalanced and the diaphragm bulges upward at its middle and through the medium of the bell-crank lever 52 moves the latch-bar 47in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 until it clears the shoulder 42 of disk 41. At the instant this takes place the spring 45, which is wound up when the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 4, swings said handle, as indicated by the dotted arrow, same figure, through ninety degrees of space or until the shoulder 42, previously engaging the latch-bar, strikes the stop-arm 44 and limits such movement of the handle, and consequently of the valve. As the valve assumes this new position its passage 36 places the return-port 27 and wasteport 29 in communicatiomand instantly thereafter the pressure in the reservoir and cylinder is reduced to that of the atmosphere.

This reduction of pressure of course is accomv panied by the descent of the table and the reelevation of the rammers. This reduction of pressure, furthermore, removes the over-balancing power which elevated the diaphragm and poise and permits the latter, therefore, to instantly depress the diaphragm to its original position. In this operation the pivot-pin 51 of bell-crank 52 swings inoperatively in the slot 50 of latch-bar 47,Which at this time is held by the power of spring 48 against the periphery of disk 51 at a point diametrically opposite the shoulder 43, as will be readily understood. After a felt wad has been placed in each shell the stop-pin 4 is fitted in the hole 3 next below its former position and the lever 40 is grasped and swung back to its initial position, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby rewinding spring 45 and permitting spring 48 to reseat the latchbar against shoulder 42, and thus prevent spring 45 from moving the valve until the proper time arrives. By swinging the handle back to its initial position the valve-passage 36 again connects the-ports 23 25 and permits the compressed air or gas to enter the reservoir and the cylinder and cause the descent of the rammers and the ascent of the table, as before explained. hen the pressure again reaches the-predetermined height, the operations of the pressure-reg'ulating mechanism and of the valve mechanism are repeated, and with each succeeding operation until the shell is completely loaded the stoppin 4 is lowered one hole, as will be understood.

Thus it will be seen that I have produced a machine of the character described which is of more compact, durable, and reliable construction than that of my former patent, and it is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, detail construction, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocating table, a shell-carrying block thereon, a plurality of rammers, and an adjustable stop to limit the movement of said table toward the rammers, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, a reciprocating table, a shell-carrying block thereon, a plurality of rammers, an arm or plate provided with a vertical series of holes, and a stop-pin adapted to engage one or another of said holes and thereby limit the movement of said table toward the rammers, substantially as described.

In a machine of the character described, a plurality of rammers, a loading-block-carrying table, the loading-block thereon adapted to contain shells equal in number to the rammers, a cylinder having its piston connected to said table, and instruinentalities for introducing compressed air, gas, or other equivalent into the cylinder to raise. said table in the loading of the shells, and automatic means to permit the air, gas or other equivalent to escape after the predetermined pressure has been attained, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described,

a suitable frame or stand, a cylinder, a reservoir, a reciprocatory loading-block-carrying table between the two and connected to the stem of the cylinder-piston, a plurality of rammers, and means for introducing compressed air, gas, or other equivalent into said reservoir and cylinder and equalizingit upon the rammers and piston, and automatic means to permit the air, gas, or other equivalent to escape after a predetermined pressure is obtained, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, a cylinder, a reservoir provided with a plurality of suitably-guided ram mers, a loadingblock-carrying table connected to the piston of the cylinder, a valve-casing provided with inlet, outlet, return and waste ports, a rotary plug therein provided with a passage, adapted to connect the inlet and outlet ports or the return and Waste ports, a spring-actuated latch-bar to hold the valve with the inlet and outlet ports connected, a diaphragm to receive with the rammers and the piston the pressure of the air, gas, or other equivalent introduced into the reservoir and the cylinder by Way of said ports and valve-passages, and instrumentalities actuated by the diaphragm as it yields to such pressure for tripping said latchbar and permitting thevalve to be rotated, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, a cylinder, a reservoir provided witha plurality of suitably-guided rammers, a loadingblock-carrying table connected to the piston of the cylinder, a valve-casing provided with inlet, outlet, return and waste ports, a rotary plug therein provided with a passage adapted to connect the inlet and outlet ports or the return and waste ports, a spring -actuated latch-bar to hold the valve with the inlet and outlet ports connected, a diaphragm to receive with the rammers and the piston the pressure of the air, gas, or other equivalent introduced into the reservoir and the cylinder by way of said ports and valve-passages, instrumentalities actuated by the diaphragm as it yields to such pressure for tripping said latch-bar and permitting the valve to be rotated, and a pivot-ed scale-beam provided with an adjustable poise which yields under the elevation of the diaphragm by the predetermined pressure, and Which returns said diaphragm to its original position after such pressure is removed, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, a cylinder, a reservoir provided with a plurality of suitably-guided rammers, a loadingblock-carrying table connected to the piston of the cylinder, a valve-casing provided with inlet, outlet, return and Waste ports, a rotary plug therein provided with a passage adapted to connect the inlet and outlet ports or the return and Waste ports, a spring-actuated latch-bar to hold the valve with the inlet and outlet ports connected, a diaphragm to receive with the rammers and the piston the pressure of the air, gas, or other equivalent introduced into the reservoir and the cylinder by way of said ports and valve-passages, instrumentalities actuated by the diaphragm as it yields to such pressure for tripping said latch-bar and permitting the valve to be rotated, and a stoparm to limit said rotatable movement, substantially as described.

8. In'a machine of the character described, a cylinder, a reservoir provided with a plurality of suitably-guided rammers, a loadingblock-carrying table connected to the piston of the cylinder, a valve-casing provided with inlet, outlet, return and Waste ports, a rotary plug therein provided with a passage adapted to connect the inlet and outlet ports or the return and waste ports, and with a shoulder, a spring-actuated latch-bar to engage said shoulder and hold the valve with the inlet and outlet ports connected, a diaphragm to receive with the ramrners and the piston the FREDERICK RAYMOND.

Witnesses: V

M. R. REMLEY,

F. S. 'lrIRAsHER. 

